The best and worst from the Broncos’ 20-18 win against New England in their AFC championship game on Sunday…

BEST

Miller puts heat on Brady. A master of all roles Sunday, Broncos linebacker Von Miller freelanced from all over the field. He intercepted a Tom Brady pass in the second quarter when he stretched out in front of tight end Rob Gronkowski. Miller was credited with 2½ sacks. One came deep in Patriots territory in the third quarter. He also hurried Brady on four throws.

Prowling Brady. Derek Wolfe’s sack of Brady in the first quarter helped force a three-and-out, setting the tone for a dominating performance by the Denver defense. And Wolfe knocked down a Brady throw to force a punt.

Manning’s mobility. Manning’s 12-yard scramble on a third-and-10 play in the third quarter was the Broncos’ longest run of the game to that point. Read more…

When Ronnie Hillman raced around the right end in the fourth quarter last Sunday, it became notable for several reasons. It secured the Broncos fifth straight AFC West title, the conference’s top playoff seed and individual recognition.

Hillman won AFC offensive player of the week honors after rushing for a season-high 117 yards on 15 carries and a 23-yard touchdown.

“It was just a call that I just so happened to hit, and it was a perfect call for what they were doing. They shifted the line to the left and we ran right, and we scored,” Hillman said. “It felt good to know that we went up, now we had to rely on the defense and they did their thing obviously like they do week in and week out, and we came up with the win.”

Hillman emerged in training camp as a force then took over the starting job following injuries to C.J. Anderson. The pair has spent the second half of the season platooning. Hillman leads the Broncos with 863 yards rushing on seven touchdowns, followed by Anderson’s 720 and five scores. Read more…

Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman (23) celebrates his touchdown with Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson (22) during the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers on Jan. 3, 2016 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium. (Helen Richardson, The Denver Post)

Record-setting day. Demaryius Thomas has had his bouts with drops this season, but Sunday he joined Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison as the only wide receivers with four consecutive seasons with 90 catches, at least 1,300 yards and five touchdowns. On Sunday, Thomas had five catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. He had his 32nd 100-yard receiving game, surpassing Rod Smith for the most in franchise history.

Backs run wild. Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson combined for a season-high 210 rushing yards. Hillman led the team with 15 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown.

“D” starts strong. The Broncos held San Diego to 93 yards and six points in the first half while the offense was turning the ball over four times.

WORSTS

Turnovers galore. After the opening touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos gave the ball up on three consecutive possessions in Chargers territory. On five of their next eight possessions, Denver’s drives ended with either a fumble or an interception.

Offensive line woes. The line allowed only two sacks, but Chargers pressure contributed to a Brock Osweiler interception and several errant throws. OT Michael Schofield was benched for Tyler Polumbus in the third quarter. Read more…

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller (58) celebrates a sack with Derek Wolfe (95) in the first quarter against the Oakland Raiders on Dec. 13, 2015 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium. (Steve Nehf, The Denver Post)

Strong start. The Broncos’ defense had a historic performance in the first half, holding the Raiders to minus-12 yards on six offensive drives. A combination of pass rush, great coverage and smothering run defense was on display. The Broncos’ defense gave up 13 points, but one touchdown was the result of being placed in bad field position due to a muffed punt.

Locking down the youngster. Cornerbacks Chris Harris and Aqib Talib shut down receiver Amari Cooper, who came into the game leading all rookies in receiving yards. Cooper had zero catches on eight targets.

Sack master. Von Miller notched sack No. 10 on the season in the first-half, leading to one of his famous dances. He has been on a roll lately.

Vernon Davis is seeking his first touchdown with the Broncos. It could come today as the Raiders have allowed nine touchdowns to tight ends this season. (AAon Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

The question captivates: What’s up with Peyton Manning?

The future Hall of Famer will not play against the Raiders. And there’s no reason to expect him to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers next week. He’s working his way back, making stair step progress. Manning threw on the side and performed drills last week as he tested the plantar fascia tear in his left foot. He could repeat the drill this week. Again, the Steelers game is not realistic for his return. And his return remains in question until he practices with the team. Could that be in the days leading up to the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 28? Perhaps, but there are no guarantees.

And what about his role? The Broncos continue to let Brock Osweiler and Manning move forward on parallel tracks. If Osweiler plays well and the running attack remains productive with him under center that should influence the decision. Players make out the lineup — that is a popular saying in baseball. Same goes here. If Osweiler keeps winning, coach Gary Kubiak will do what’s best for the team, not one player.

As for Manning, they need him to keep making progress to see if he will be available going forward. It is a delicate situation. But a healthy Manning could still help at some point, regardless of his role. That’s not a knock on rookie backup Trevor Siemian, but he hasn’t taken an NFL snap. The ideal scenario is the Broncos having Manning in their back pocket in the season’s final weeks as an option.

Now to those who are playing Sunday and keys to the game.

High and Tight
Tight end Vernon Davis is due for a big game. The Broncos acquired him at the trading deadline, and he’s been steady. His impact goes beyond receptions as he’s been an important blocker on some of the team’s best running plays. That said, he could break out against the Raiders. Davis owns 12 catches and 16 targets in five games with Denver. He caught six against the Bears. I could see similar production Sunday, except with his first touchdown as a Bronco. Davis was limited in practice because of a concussion, but should be full go on Sunday. Tight ends boast nine touchdown receptions against Oakland this year.

Head Rush
Derek Carr’s terrific season has turned slightly sour with fourth-quarter issues. Seven of his nine picks have come in the fourth quarter. Last season, Carr refused to take a sack, but often threw the ball away. He’s forced more passes this year. That should bode well for a Broncos team that has 23 takeaways and 11 interceptions. Cornerback Chris Harris won the first meeting with a pick six. Will it be Aqib Talib’s turn today? They need the corners to play well because there will be inexperience at safety with David Bruton (knee) and Omar Bolden (hamstring) out.

Win and survive
This could be ugly, not unlike the Chargers game. The Broncos had 22 players on their injury report last week. The Broncos would love to grind out the clock on the ground. They are seeking their fourth straight game of at least 134 rushing yards. However, the running backs are hurting. Ronnie Hillman will start but is dealing with a sore foot. Juwan Thompson figures to back him up with C.J. Anderson available only in emergency duty. Osweiler will get four shots, at least, down the field. He needs to convert on two of them.

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Maybe the Colts want to make Peyton Manning feel at home. Last time Manning visited Lucas Oil Stadium, the roof remained opened. The Colts won 39-33, Manning failing to exact revenge in a loss that was emotional and taxing. Edge rusher Robert Mathis injured Manning’s ankle.

Is the roof gamesmanship or just ridiculousness? The Colts have dropped three straight games for the first time since 2011, a season which Manning missed due to neck surgeries. They represent a desperate team looking for even the slightest edge.

Mother nature failed to cooperate. The conditions are ideal for football regardless if the roof exhales or not. The forecast calls for high 50s, dropping to mid 40s near the game’s conclusion. It mirrors the weather the Broncos practiced in all week.Read more…

Quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers #12 (R) of the Green Bay Packers and Peyton Manning #18 (L) of the Denver Broncos talk while surrounded by media after the Broncos 29-10 win at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on November 1, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. (Justin Edmonds, Getty Images)

Peyton Manning, Demaryius Thomas and other Denver Broncos talked after the team’s 29-10 win over the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers. Here’s some of what they said.

BRONCOS QUARTERBACK PEYTON MANNING

On why the offense had more success this week

“Execution was better. We studied some things during the bye week, and I think we applied some of those things tonight. It doesn’t guarantee the rest of the season, but I thought we did focus on some things that we did well in the first six games, maybe unlearned a couple of things you weren’t doing quite as well and then added a couple things. I thought we applied the bye week. I thought we used the week well. I thought it made us better. I thought that kind of showed up tonight. Hopefully we can kind of keep that going.”

On the offensive line’s performance

“They played outstanding. They did a great job in the run game. There were some really good holes. There were some good runs, now, by [RB] Ronnie [Hillman] and [RB] C.J. [Anderson], but there were some really good holes, as well. To get out of that game with no sacks against a really good defensive front who thrives on creating pressure and have lots of different blitzes and multiple looks—really impressive effort by the guys up front tonight.”Read more…

Comments Off on They Said It: Peyton Manning, Demaryius Thomas and others on Broncos’ win over Packers

The bye week came for a perfect time for Broncos running back C.J. Anderson.

His struggles on the field were well-documented. A 2.7 yard per carry average, second-worst in the NFL, was enough to have many calling for fellow back Ronnie Hillman to take his starting role.

Early ankle and toe injuries limited him in practice in the season’s opening weeks, but he hasn’t been on the injury report in weeks. That doesn’t mean he still wasn’t banged up.

“I wasn’t as healthy as I thought,” Anderson said. “I had some old injuries that bothered (me), I can’t really say. I didn’t know it was that serious until I felt it.”

Anderson pointed to a third-and-1 in overtime in the Broncos’ Week 6 win at Cleveland. Veteran right guard Louis Vasquez, a player typically reserved with his words, told Anderson that they were going to get this first down. And they did.Read more…

Shaquil Barrett’s career game is perfect time. Shaquil Barrett wasn’t hesitant in his first career start. He mauled Browns QB Josh McCown on a key strip sack. Barrett also had nine tackles, including two for loss in place of DeMarcus Ware and Shane Ray.

No Fly Zone. Safety T.J. Ward was asked who would make the big play this week. He said “put the names in the hat.” It was Aqib Talib, who had a 63-yard pick-six, the Broncos’ fourth defensive touchdown of the year.

Runnin’ Ronnie. There weren’t many positives about the Broncos offense, but Ronnie Hillman wasn’t the problem. He showed the speed burst Denver had been missing from its run game with 20 carries for 111 yards.

CLEVELAND — Part of the charm of traveling the country for 14 years as an MLB beat writer was learning the weather along with how many creative ways a local baseball team could lose.

Hot in Washington D.C.’s old RFK Stadium is a different kind of hot than 90 degrees at Dodger Stadium. Hot in Atlanta or St. Louis in July is much stickier than a midsummer’s night in San Diego. Same goes for cold. New York in April can be brisk. But Midwest cold is unique. Having covered winter meetings in Indianapolis and Milwaukee, April games at Wrigley and World Series games with the White Sox, there’s nothing quite like the chill-to-the-bone freeze of the Midwest.

With temperatures expected in the mid 40s, it would behoove the Broncos to be able to run the ball Sunday at Cleveland. (Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post)

I mention this because it’s cold Sunday in Cleveland. Not stupid cold. But 47 degrees by the lake is different than 47 degrees in Wash Park back home. My point? If the Broncos have designs on going 6-0 for the seventh time in franchise history — they have reached the Super Bowl five of the first six times — they need to run the ball in bad weather.

So let’s get to the three keys of the game:

Run the ball
The Broncos can’t be this bad on the ground can they? The Broncos’ 358 rushing yards ranks as the third-fewest in the NFL. Their average of 3.3 yards per attempt sits second-worst. Cleveland allows an average of 5.0 yards per carry, second-highest in the league. If the Broncos can’t run on Cleveland, then who can they run on? Coach Gary Kubiak insists that C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman are co-starters. Kapri Bibbs is the third back. If one of the backs gets going, feed him. If the Broncos fail to establish a ground game today in the windy cold, not only will it jeopardize their undefeated record, but it will be time to look at personnel changes.

Contain Big Play Barnidge
T.J. Ward knows all about tight end Gary “Big Play” Barnidge. “When I played with him in Cleveland he was ‘Big Block’ Barnidge. He was a really good dude. He just was stuck behind Jordan Cameron,” Ward said. Barnidge has become the Browns’ top target, catching 24 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns. The Broncos will likely use a variety of looks to cover Barnidge, including Ward, David Bruton, Brandon Marshall and Aqib Talib, who told me he expects to play after spraining his right ankle against the Oakland Raiders.

Eliminate the turnovers
Peyton Manning is not a game manager. He has directed critical drives in wins over the Chiefs, Lions and Vikings. But the late-game excellence was necessary, in part, because of his own mistakes. Manning has thrown interceptions in the first five games of a season for the first time since 1999. He has never thrown an interception in the first seven games of a season. The Broncos must improve in the red zone. That starts with Manning and the receivers, who rank 10th in dropped passes this season with eight.

Chris Harris (25) of the Denver Broncos kneels in the end zone after returning an interception for a touchdown off of Derek Carr (4) of the Oakland Raiders during the second half of the Broncos’ 16-10 win at the O.co Coliseum. The Oakland Raiders hosted the Denver Broncos on Oct. 11, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Chris Harris’ no-fly zone saves the day. It’s like clockwork. Every time the offense needs a pick-me-up, the defense swoops in to make a play. This time it was Chris Harris reading Derek Carr’s eyes, intercepting a pass over the middle and taking it for the game-clinching 74-yard touchdown.

Keep bringing the heat. After DeMarcus Ware left with a back injury, reserve outside linebackers Shaquil Barrett and Shane Ray each came up with their second sacks of the season. The Broncos made four sacks Sunday, which makes 22 for the season.

Shining Sanders. Emmanuel Sanders was the go-to receiver, especially in the first half. He finished with nine catches for 111 yards.

WORSTS

Manning INTs, Broncos’ run game struggles again. Usually quarterbacks take their offensive line to dinner; Peyton Manning ought to take the defense out instead. For the second straight game, Manning threw two interceptions — bring his total to seven through five games this season.

One-dimensional. After showing life last week, the run game regressed Sunday. C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman combined for 43 yards on 18 carries (2.4 yards per carry).

Peyton Manning has never lost to the Raiders since joining the Broncos in 2012. (Steve Nehf, The Denver Post)

OAKLAND, Calif. — About the field at o.Co Coliseum? The Raiders removed the infield skin. Just call them the Lawn Rangers.

The sod looks fantastic from the press box and at field level. I walked around the place, checked out the box seats in the dugouts and listened to Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora preview his Jimi Hendrix-style guitar solo National Anthem. This places figures to be rocking. The parking lot lived up to expectations with the tailgating. This is a concert disguised as a game.

As for the game, my three keys for Broncos to stay undefeated and run their winning streak to eight against Oakland are as follows:

Blitz, blitz and blitz Raiders quarterback Derek Carr

Derek Carr represents one of the game’s better young quarterbacks. I am not sure he’s better than Minnesota’s Teddy Bridgewater, and I would be shocked if he played better than Bridgewater did last Sunday. Carr’s strong start reveals a vulnerability. He has only been blitzed 15 percent of his dropbacks, according to ESPN. The Broncos have blitzed 37 percent of the time. They will pressure Carr in a way he hasn’t seen this season. The Broncos own 18 sacks from 11 different players. The Orange Rush comes from everywhere. They need to sack Carr at least three times and create two turnovers. Did I mention Derek Wolfe returns on Sunday? He will give the Broncos even more options.

GARY KUBIAK, BRONCOS COACH

On having talent at every position:
“The entire team, like I look at Bennie (Fowler). We need to get Bennie the ball. Every time he touches it, he makes a play. What Ronnie does today, we played a little bit more two-tights today, so I think Virgil (Green) was more of a factor in what we were doing. I think everybody’s getting a chance to contribute. I think we’re continuing to find out exactly what we are in some situations, but I know we’re very deep. Hopefully we stay healthy and that’s a problem all year long.”

On the fourth-down touchdown play to Owen Daniels:
“Actually, we rehearsed the situation yesterday at the practice field. I told (offensive coordinator) Rick (Dennison) and the guys, if we get in this situation, this is where I’m going. We rehearsed the play a couple times throughout the course of the week and found a way to make the play. I think it’s important right there. We’ve got to be aggressive. Our defense, the way they’re playing, we end up with somebody pinned. I don’t know that you make that decision every day, but it worked out this time.”

On not losing confidence in Manning:
“I told (Dennison) and (quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp), ‘We’re going to keep throwing it because he’s the guy that will get us back in position to win the game.’ We ran the ball pretty well at the end there, too. I know that he has a couple of throws that he’d like to have back, but you trust him in any situation and he’s going to find a way to get his football team in position to win. I’m proud of him for being able to do that.”

PEYTON MANNING, BRONCOS QB

On the effectiveness of the stretch running play:
“It was a toss play. With Ronnie, I love when he gets in the open field, he has that breakaway speed. It was nice to get him a chance to break away and take it down the field for a long touchdown. It’s definitely a deflating play for a defense. It was really good to see that and was a great play by Ronnie.”

On scoring on fourth-and-goal:
“I certainly knew that the play call was high on the charts. Obviously, we would have liked to score on that third-down play, but on fourth down you never know how a defense is going to play. Usually they’re going to sell out in one thing. They’re either going to sell out thinking that you’re either going to pass the ball or sell out thinking that you’re going to run the ball. They were pretty heavy on the run. It was a great misdirection play. Coach Kubiak and coach Dennison have some of those great roll out plays in this offense and that was one of them. Virgil kind of occupied two guys and Owen slipped away underneath. I threw it right for the sideline. I felt that’s kind of the hardest throw and the hardest catch. He’s so open that you don’t want to overthrow him, but Owen has to be like, ‘Hurry up, let the ball get here.’ I’m glad that it ended up in his hands.”

On throwing to a wide-open receiver:
“I’m telling you, I’d rather throw it in between two guys probably than have that wide open one. You see it too many times, just don’t miss a layup, as they say. I think it’s all on the receiver as well because it’s an easy one to lose your concentration on.”

Von Miller (58) of the Denver Broncos celebrates recovering a fumble by Teddy Bridgewater (5) of the Minnesota Vikings to end the game. The Denver Broncos played the Minnesota Vikings at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on Oct. 4, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Tackle Michael Schofield did right by his performance. Schofield played his first snap Sunday, and he didn’t give up any egregious sacks and looked like a competent starting right tackle.

Mission accomplished. Objective No. 1 for the Broncos’ defense this week was to stop Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Mission accomplished. Peterson came into Week 4 as the NFL’s leading rusher. He had a big run in the fourth quarter, but finished with less than 100 yards. That’s a win for Denver.

Opportunistic defense. For the fourth straight week, a defensive play saves the day. On Sunday, it was a T.J. Ward’s strip sack, and Von Miller recovered the ball.

WORSTS

Coverage, penalties haunt secondary. We’ve learned to develop high standards for the Broncos secondary. But Aqib Talib and Bradley Roby struggled with penalties and missed assignments especially in the first half.

It only takes one. Sly Williams was pushed aside on Adrian Peterson’s fourth-quarter 48-yard touchdown run. The run defense played well, but that one rush brought life to a the Minnesota offense.

Missed opportunity. Cody Latimer didn’t play any offensive snaps in Week 3 and his only meaningful play Sunday was a first-quarter hold on a run call.–Cameron Wolfe

Grades

Offense: B-
Coach Gary Kubiak let Peyton Manning continue with what worked at Detroit: playing out of shotgun and the pistol. The running game came alive with Ronnie Hillman’s 72-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and the backs collectively finished with 144 yards. But Manning, playing behind the re-shuffled offensive line, was sacked twice and threw two interceptions. He ended the game 17-of-27 for 213 yards and one touchdown.

Defense: A-
Wade Phillips threw the kitchen sink at the Vikings and held Adrian Peterson to only 34 yards rushing through three quarters. More impressive: The Broncos recorded seven sacks, the last of which was a strip-sack by T.J. Ward to seal the win. But Peterson sprinted through the Broncos’ defensive line on a fourth and 1 early in the fourth quarter for a 48-yard touchdown run. And, a defensive holding call on Aqib Talib on a third-and-7 in the second quarter extended a Minnesota drive that finished with a field goal.

Special Teams: A
The Brandon McManus Show goes on. On a day the league as a whole struggled with kicking, McManus made all three of his field-goal attempts, the last of which (39 yards) was the game-winner with 1:54 remaining in the fourth quarter. He also made a 33- and 47-yarder to extend his perfect streak to 9-of-9 this season.

Coaching: A
Kubiak & Co. decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 in the third quarter, and Manning hit tight end Owen Daniels with a play-action pass in the left corner of the end zone. Phillips’ creativity on the defensive side resulted in seven sacks of Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and contained Peterson on the ground for three quarters.

Game balls

Ronnie Hillman. His 72-yard touchdown run in the second quarter breathed life into the Broncos’ running game that entered Sunday’s matchup with only 171 yards in three games. His run tied for the fourth-longest touchdown run in Broncos history.

T.J. Ward. A strip-sack in the final seconds gave the Broncos seven sacks for the day and sealed the Broncos’ 23-20 victory. Ward, who also had the Broncos’ first sack of the game, now has 7.5 in his career and is the only NFL safety to record at least one in each of the past five seasons.–Nicki Jhabvala

Ronnie Hillman (23) of the Denver Broncos completes a 72-yard touchdown run. The Denver Broncos played the Minnesota Vikings at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on Oct. 4, 2015. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)

The Broncos’ stagnant run game broke out in a big way Sunday.

Ronnie Hillman took off on a 72-yard touchdown run in the second quarter against the Vikings. It was the longest touchdown run in the NFL this season.

Hillman finished with 11 carries for 103 yards to help the Broncos win 23-20.

Peyton Manning is eyeing his ninth straight win against the Chiefs dating to his days with the Colts. (Steve Nehf, The Denver Post)

KANSAS CITY — Peyton Manning walks out of the tunnel Thursday night attempting to do something not even Craig Morton accomplished.

No quarterback has beaten the Kansas City Chiefs nine consecutive times. Manning owns eight straight wins, a record he shares with Morton. Manning won his last two with the Colts and hasn’t lost to the Chiefs as a member of the Broncos. Morton’s streak spanned from 1970-79, spanning his tenure with the Cowboys and Broncos.

Manning, facing scrutiny not seen since he came back from neck surgery in 2012, needs 134 passing yards to join Brett Favre in the 70,000-yard club. He figures to reach it, but where will he finish? The Broncos are expected to simplify the offense to help the line, which could mean a steady diet of C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman to set up play-action. It would not surprise me if the Broncos finished with 40 rushing attempts.

So on the keys to the game:

Run for it
Manning, 39, didn’t play well last Sunday, perhaps you heard? It wasn’t a good performance, but multiple factors contributed beyond Manning. The offensive line struggled in his first game action together. Center Matt Paradis, Evan Mathis and Ty Sambrailo all graded out poorly. Mathis will play better. His track record provides proof. Paradis and Sambrailo will fight inconsistency based on their lacking experience. They are considered quick learners. The solution? Keep it basic. Run the ball to set up play-action hits. Manning’s final statistics would have looked much different last week had he connected on both or even one of the shots down field to Emmanuel Sanders. If those are missed tonight, Denver will lose. C.J. Anderson will play, but if the Broncos win he will likely form a two-headed monster with Ronnie Hillman.

Force Alex Smith to win the game
Alex Smith has earned “The Captain Checkdown” nickname. He will look to dump the ball off rather than take shots down the field. If the Broncos can limit the damage of Jamaal Charles out of the backfield — Brandon Marshall is central to the coverage — it will force Smith to turn to Travis Kelce and Jeremy Maclin. Kelce will get his catches. He’s that good. David Bruton figures to spend a chunk of time on him in nickel packages. Maclin remains a solid receiver. But the Broncos can take him out with either Chris Harris or Aqib Talib, forcing Smith to take risks elsewhere.

Take the crowd out
This is the home-opener for the Chiefs. They take their football seriously around here. I say that as someone who was stuck in traffic to get into the parking lot 5 1/2 hours before the game. I saw two RVs featuring 50-inch flat screens in the place of windows. The Chiefs are kind of a big deal here. Nothing mutes the crowd like a good running game, and no turnovers. The crowd grows restless with nothing to roar about, similar to when a pitcher shuts down an opponent. If the Broncos establish the ground game, they will run out of town with their NFL record 13th consecutive divisional road victory. If they fall behind and become predictable with the pass, Denver’s chances will nosedive dramatically.

The third preseason game is usually the game that best models the regular season. And although Ball is still listed as the No. 2 back on the Broncos’ depth chart, he was the fourth running back to touch the football. That didn’t sit well with the former second-round pick.

“I was really surprised by that. I barely got any touches,” Ball said. I guess that’s the way they wanted to do it.”

Coach Gary Kubiak, who has built a career out of getting the most out of running backs, defended his decision of not playing Ball much by saying it’s tough to get four running backs carries in a game.

“Special teams is a big factor with him and Juwan (Thompson),” Kubiak said. “We’ll see. I’m fine with Montee.”

Kubiak said the roster cut to 75 would likely happen Monday morning and it’s unlikely to expect any of the four running backs — C.J. Anderson, Ronnie Hillman, Thompson and Ball — would be among them. But when the 53-man roster is decided by Saturday, Ball could be in the conversation, depending on his performance in the final preseason game, Thursday.

“I heard I was going to get a lot of snaps, but it just didn’t work out like that,” Ball said. “Right now it’s C.J., Ronnie, then Juwan, then me. So I guess just what it is.”Read more…

Camp demands conformity. There is a groundhog day feel at this point. Early mornings. Late film study. So when a player looks different, it bends necks. Ronnie Hillman began raising eyebrows earlier this summer with his strong finish on runs. It translated into the game with an eight-carry, 66-yard performance in Friday’s 22-20 preseason-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks. Hillman stuck out with his legs and his mouth(piece). He is wearing a novel mouthpiece in camp, featuring a shark teeth feel.

Loudmouthguard.com, the company that makes them, sent him more. Given Hillman’s success, he’s not about to change now.

“It was different. I liked them. Now I have about 50 of them,” Hillman said.

The pieces come in variety of designs, including vampire teeth. Hillman appears ready for shark week as seen in the picture included in this post. It’s not a bad look given the way he’s been chewing up yards.

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.